After a brutal
nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors
eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family
would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and
control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons
of the winning group in a yearly ritual.This year, it is my turn.My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s
son—my soon-to-be husband—and restore the Westfall family to power.But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel,
heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in
this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am
the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy.Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him…

This book. Oh god this book was just...perfection. A lot of the time I have to be in a certain mood to enjoy dystopians. I was a little worried when I started the book that I wasn't in that mood, and so I would not really enjoy it that much. But thank god that not only did I enjoy it, I loved every second of it.I won't rehash the summary as there isn't much more I can add to it. The plot is very well thought out and flawlessly written. It is very smart and not everything is as black and white as you might think it will be. It is not action packed like so many dystopians, with fight scenes every other chapter. This book didn't need it. It was so intense and suspenseful as it was. The pacing was perfectly done. It never dragged. I was lost in my kindle, I just could not pull myself away.The characterization was amazing. There was so many layers to them, I never really knew where I stood with a lot of them. Ivy was a fantastic protagonist. Even though she is following her fathers orders and wants to stay loyal to her family, she still questions the right and wrong of her families plans. I loved that she wasn't afraid to speak her mind many times, especially to Bishop's parents. She had a quiet fierceness and strength that I really admired. Bishop I absolutely adored. He is a man who doesn't speak his mind that often, not until he truly trusts a person. Because of this we don't get to see the real him until a good bit into the book. He is a man shrouded in mystery. A wonderful love interest.I don't know what else I can say. This was an intelligent, superb gem of a book. One of the best books I have read this year. I cannot believe I have to wait a whole year for the sequel! That is just cruel!

About the Author:

Amy
Engel was born in Kansas and after a childhood spent bouncing between
countries (Iran, Taiwan) and states (Kansas; California; Missouri; Washington,
D.C.), she settled in Kansas City, Missouri, where she lives with her husband
and two kids. Before devoting herself full-time to motherhood and
writing, she was a criminal defense attorney, which is not quite as exciting as
it looks on TV. When she has a free moment, she can usually be found
reading, running, or shoe shopping. The Book of Ivy is her
debut YA novel. Find her online at http://amyengel.net/ or @aengelwrites.

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2.5-3/5
I was really hoping to like this book. From the blurb it seemed like it would be really interesting. Sadly this turned out to be just an OK read, so I was disappointed :/
The big thing I didn't like about the book was the main c...

Oh Cassie Mae. You never cease to amaze me with your ability to turn me into a sap. This book was just too fickin CUTE! I had a grin plastered to my face like 90% of the time. I couldn't help myself. I loved every second of this book.
Th...

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